Old Legends Die Hard
by SulfurRodent
Summary: Flare is Flame Master:a master of fire-types and a legend in Johto who conquered Team Rocket and burned through the Elite 4. That is, until she suddenly gave up battling and vanished into obscurity. When she follows her Mom to an island for work, she meets a serious battle gang and their fierce water-type wielding leader. Can they teach her what it means to be a trainer again?OCxOC
1. Chapter 1

Old Legends Die Hard

Flare is Flame Master:a master of fire-types and a legend in Johto who conquered Team Rocket and burned through the Elite 4. That is, until she suddenly gave up battling and vanished into obscurity. When she follows her Mom to an island for work, she meets a serious battle gang and their fierce water-type wielding leader. Can they teach her what it means to be a trainer again?OCxOC

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Quick Note: This Flare is a different one then in my other stories. I often reuse her name and appearance in different stories and give her a different personality, life, ect. There is no connection in this story to with other ones with Flare.

Also I will be including the songs I listened to while writing each chapter just in case anyone would like to listen to what I did while writing it to set the mood. I'll put a '*' in when I change songs.

Songs listened to while writing this chapter:

Dragon Roost Island from the Legend of Zelda Windwaker soundtrack (which is also what the island is kinda based off of.)

Recollection is a Nostalgia from the Bravely Default soundtrack.

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The warm sun beat against her as she stepped down the steps of the boat, shielding her eyes from the sudden blast of sunlight that contrasted the dim lighting of the boat. She stumbled slightly on the way down, barely managing to catch herself on the railing as a flood of people rushed down the steps from behind her. She stood tight against the railing as the wave of people rushed by behind her, letting out a sigh of relief as they passed, already feeling the beginnings of exhaustion.

"Come along darling Florence. You don't want to get left behind do you?" A voice said from next to her as a hand rested on her shoulder, leading her safely down the steps.

She flinched at the unfamiliar use of her birth name, looking at the gaudy woman next to her.

She stood far taller than her with the added help of high heels, her thin figure dressed in a fine velvet dress and a fur shawl draped over her shoulders, a layer of dark red lipstick on her lips that smiled down at her, dark brown hair tied into a tight bun.

Flare followed her onto the beach, looking around the island in awe, clutching the strap of her bag as she took in her surroundings.

The island was a recently discovered one, only a few years before she had been born, named Charizard Way after the fierce Charizard that inhabited the island and circled the large volcano resting in the middle of it. It was unlike anything she had ever seen, thin and and tall like a tower as it reached into the sky, the tip hidden by the clouds. Even from where she was standing she could make out the forms of the winged Pokemon that circled it. She watched them with a distant look in her eyes, snapping out of it when she noticed the woman was far ahead of her, sprinting forwards to catch up.

"You're going to LOVE the inn we're staying at. It's such a quaint little place with a view of the ocean that simply cannot be beat." The woman said as she stopped by her side, struggling to match her quick pace. "Ah I'm so glad you decided to accompany me on this business trip. It'll be nice to finally spend some mother-daughter time together."

"Y-yeah…" She stammered back, twisting the strap of her bag in her hands nervously.

Flare tuned her mother out after a while as she rambled on about the island and her work, glad when they finally reached the inn. It was a small building built on the edge of a cliff, overlooking the beach and the exotic greenery below.

"Welcome!" A stocky burly looking woman said as they entered, letting out a hardy laugh. "Well if it isn't Mrs. Arrior! Sent ya back here again for work, eh? Oh, and what's this? I didn't know ya had a daughter!"

Her mother smiled sweetly at the inn keep, patting Flare on the head affectionately.

"She's just darling….and she'll be staying here with me as well. I'll take my usual room, and be sure to give my daughter here the second best you have."

"Of course! Willow, come take these ladies' bags please!"

"Coming!" A young female voice called as a girl stepped into the room. She had long honey brown hair that reached to her waist in long thick curls with large bright light blue eyes, her skin tanned, no doubt from the intense sun of the island.

"You…" She muttered in surprise, looking in Flare's direction. Her eyes intensely met hers, their blue depths almost seeming to stare straight into her soul. She looked away shyly, backing up slightly.

The girl walked forwards at a brisk pace, taking her and her mother's bags in hand.

"Show my daughter to her room please. I have a meeting to attend." Her mother said with an exasperated tone, smiling apologetically at her and walking towards the entrance of the inn.

"Not giving ya anytime to rest are they? Well, ya heard her Willow!"

"On it!" She said cheerfully, walking off and beckoning for Flare to follow.

Flare followed reluctantly after the girl who was already all the way down the hall and skipping up the stairs. She followed her up, blinking in surprise and almost falling down the stairs when Willow turned around abruptly, giving her a bright smile.

"That's it! You have it! You have that spark!" She said brightly, blue eyes shimmering as she grinned at her like she had just won the lottery. "Yup, you definitely do, just like him…."

"H-huh?" She muttered in confusion, looking away from the girl's intense gaze and pushing her glasses father up on her face. "I don't know what-"

Willow looked away from her, glancing at the nametag on her bag.

"Flare, is it? Have you ever thought about Pokemon battling?"

She froze.

"It's Florence…" She correctly shyly, cursing that she had forgotten to change the name on the bag. "And….no. I'm not really into that kind of thing."

"Aw no need to be shy. Flare is a much better name though, so I think I'll call you that instead!" Willow said grabbing her hand and leading her to the second floor. "Your room is up here by the way. Anyway, my friends and I here are serious into battling. Can't get enough of it!"

"Cool?" She said taken back by the girl's openness, unsure of what to say.

"Yup and we're always looking for new good members to join us, and you have that spark in your eye of a great trainer. You definitely have potential! People in the group are awfully picky about who joins, but I think you-"

She tugged her hand away, looking at her in irritation.

"Listen, I said I'm not interested. Besides, it's not like I have Pokemon to battle with right now." She snapped.

The girl's eyes widened in shock as she stopped in front of a room, a strange look in them as she stared at her.

"Oh….well. Sorry for bothering you." She muttered sounding somewhat crestfallen. "Here's your room. If you need anything, feel free to ask." She said setting the bag down and walking away briskly.

Flare watched her disappear back down the stairs before shaking her head sadly, grabbing her bag and stepping into the room.

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The room was a small one, but certainly nice. A large bed with fluffy sheets was in the room with curtains around it that could be used for privacy. The wall facing the ocean was not a wall, but instead a large window that seemed to frame the beautiful ocean and fill the room with a warm light. There was a door at the end of the room that led to what she guessed was a bathroom, beautiful portraits of the island hung around the room as well as vases with vibrantly colored flowers placed about. She set her bag down, stepping inside and looking around with a wide-eyed look.

*"Maybe this won't be so bad…." She said sitting down on the bed, surprised at how soft it was. She reached into her pocket, pulling out a Luxury Ball, tossing it softly up as a light erupted out of it, a Growlithe appearing out of it and landing in her lap.

It looked around the new room a moment before looking up at her with a happy look, letting out a small bark.

"It's been a long time since anyone has called me Flare….." She said with a heavy sigh, gently patting her on the head. "Before you even hatched, Cinder."

She shook her head with a sad look, reaching into her pocket again and pulled out a bottle of pills, popping one out and holding it out to Cinder.

"It's time for your medicine." She said tiredly. Cinder stared at the pill in disdain before reluctantly taking it, hopping off her lap to go explore the room.

She looked down at Cinder with a sad look in her eyes. It was smaller than most Growlithe and thinner, her fur thin and frazzled unlike most Growlithe's thick sleek coats. When she hatched, she was hatched severely sick. Nobody thought she would make it. It was her mother who paid for all the treatments and pills, pulling her through.

'_It'll never be able to battle though.'_

She shook her head, looking out the window where people were gathered on the beach, two Pokemon she couldn't make out from the distance locked in a fierce battle. She looked away quickly, staring at her feet. Cinder trotted over to her, staring up at her with worried eyes.

"Battling huh? That brings back a lot of memories…." She said distantly, looking at one of the portraits in the room of two Charizard blasting fire at each other with the island beneath it.

She let out another heavy sigh, collapsing back on her bed and looking at the ceiling.

"Doesn't matter anymore though. Some things can never be the same."

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Will need at least one review to continue this. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

Songs listened to writing this chapter:

Castle in the Mist from the ICO soundtrack

My Home Sweet Home from the Final Fantasy 5 soundtrack

Blue Fields from the Final Fantasy 8 soundtrack

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"_Dammit!" She screamed frustrated, watching with livid eyes as her Charmeleon fell to the ground with a thud, running to its side._

_Tears of frustration and anger filled her eyes as she assessed the damage of the Pokemon. Laying a hand on it carefully, she breathed a sharp breath of relief when she felt shallow breaths, closing her eyes and shaking her head._

_A young girl of about 9 years of age sat there, short fiery red hair unkempt and wild, falling just above her shoulders in soft locks. Her eyes were to match, a color so strange it seemed to reflect the sunset in their depths, blazing with a look of passion and fighting spirit in their intense gaze._

_She turned her head sharply in the direction of her advisory, a Blastoise, cannons still dripping from the hydropump that it had blasted at her Pokemon, watching her carefully. She stared at it a long moment before her lips curled into a snarl as she stood, raising a fist at it and preparing to charge when an old voice cut in._

"_That will be enough child! Do not be so blinded by your temper!"_

_She quickly regained composure, looking at the older man who entered the scene, stroking his long beard as he stepped towards her, a stern look in his eyes._

"_Master Magnis!" She greeted respectfully, taking a quick bow._

"_Look at this mess…how do you plan on becoming a true Flame Master if you cannot handle the rushing force of water?" He said sternly, sitting by her fallen comrade's side and gently placing a revive in its mouth. _

_She smiled brightly as her friend awoke, tackling it in a fierce hug as it affectionately cooed at her. The old man simply shook his head._

"_You have passion girl, I will give you that. But passion is not enough. You must be wise, you must be skilled. A fire that cannot be controlled is begging to be put out."_

_She sat on her knees, looking up at the man with a serious gaze, listening thoughtfully to his words. The man turned to the Blastoise, thoughtfully stroking his beard again._

"_Now, try again." He said beckoning to the Blastoise who stood ready at his words._

_She looked at him with wide eyes._

"_But Volc…..he's only at half-strength-!"_

_The old man raised his cane, giving her a sharp tap on the head with it._

"_When faced with an impossible situation or certain defeat, simply match that power with all-out force! There is nothing a flame can't burn through if it rages fierce and true." He said in a wise voice, beckoning to the Blastoise again. "Now child, show me the fires of your conviction!"_

_She nodded to him, rising to her feet, nodding once to her Pokemon who looked at her with understanding eyes. She raised her hand to the Blastoise and-_

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Flare was awoken by the sound of loud voices outside her door. Her eyes fluttered open wearily as she rose from the bed, Cinder uncurling herself from next to her, watching her as she rose. She put a hand to her head, looking at the floor with a distant expression.

'_I was dreaming…..'_ She thought groggily, shaking her head.

*The door to her room burst open, her gaze quickly snapping to the door as a group of people practically collapsed in, Willow standing behind then with a grin as wide and a Cheshire cat's and her hands outstretched in a push position, a boy standing next to her with an exhausted expression.

She immediately sat up straight, Cinder growling slightly as she moved behind her back.

"Oh did I wake you up Flare? S-o-r-r-y!" Willow said not sounding in the least bit sorry. "There are some people I want you to meet!"

"I told you I'm not interested in-" She started when Willow cut in.

"Oh, I know! But hey it's not gonna be any fun being here without knowing anyone, right?"

"…." She didn't answer and looked away, focusing her attention away from the group.

"But why'd ya have to drag us here now? We were in the middle of an intense battle!" An irritated voice whined.

"An intense battle you were most definitely losing." A calm voice answered back.

Flare looked at the two boys who had been pushed in, currently locked in a heated argument on the floor. One had a large spiked Mohawk that was dyed a bright blue with red tips, his eyes droopy and intimidating look to his face, dark blue eyes glowering at his friend before snapping to her.

"So yer the kid Willow won't shut her trap about. I'm Morgan, my mom's the innkeep here." He said jabbing a finger to his chest. "Most call me Mo, well, ya know, because of the…." He trailed off, beckoning to his Mohawk. "If anyone gives you any flack while you're here, come to me. My dragon types will teach'em a thing or two." He said with a grin, cracking his knuckles.

"U-Um oka-"

"Hmph. As if those brutes could do anything helpful." A more refined boy said, rising from the floor and giving her a charming smile. "Anyone so uncouth enough to mess with a lady deserves a more noble punishment, not step down to the level of those brutes you so proudly refer to as dragon types."

"The hell d'you say?!"

The boy ignored him, looking to her again with gleaming eyes. He had fine golden blond hair that was cut short in a somewhat unkempt manner with an odd strand left hanging long over his shoulders in a braid, soft green eyes meeting hers.

"I'm Alistar. I happen to favor steel types." He said with a smooth voice and flashing her another charming smile. "If the lady needs anything, she would best come to me."

"What?! Since when have you been Mr. Reliable?!"

"Why, the moment I stepped in the presence of such a lovely lady."

"I can't believe you!"

"Now, now Mo you're upsetting her."

"That's enough, both of you." A low serious voice said, both of them immediately going silent. She slowly looked over to the owner of the voice.

His eyes were intense.

He had messy silver hair that looked like he hadn't bothered to brush it when he had woken up but somehow it suited him. He was tall and well-built with a powerful air about him, a commanding presence that told her he was most definitely the leader. His eyes were a bright blue with an intense sharp look to them as they silently stared at her with a look that was sizing her up.

She did not like it in the least bit.

He continued to stare at her until he looked away with an almost bored glance. She eyes narrowed in his direction, clenching her hands into angry fists.

"Oh! You do have a Pokemon!" Willow cooed happily, stepping over to Cinder who shyly moved behind her back, letting out a small nervous whine.

"Don't approach her so suddenly; she's quite shy." She explained quietly, comfortingly patting her on the back.

Willow's mouth went into an 'O' shape as she backed up. "Another time then!" She said with a serious look, putting her hands on her hips. "There is not a single Pokemon heart I haven't been able to win over yet!"

*The leader shook his head, approaching them suddenly. He bent by the bed, looking at Cinder with a calculating gaze.

"What's wrong with it?" He asked putting a hand on her head as Cinder stared shyly up at him.

"….She's sick." She muttered, scooting away subtly away from him. He raised an eyebrow at the action before standing up, crossing his arms.

"I should say so. Not fit for battling then."

"Don't say that like it's a measure of her worth!" She snapped before she could think about what she was saying.

The boy blinked in surprise at the girl, looking into her strange sunset colored eyes when he noticed it.

'_Ah…..there it is…..'_ He thought in surprise. '_Willow was right. But how can someone like her have-?'_

"If you came here to ridicule a sick young Pokemon, then I want nothing to do with you and suggest you leave." She said quelling her anger and managing to say the line in a quiet even tone.

"Don't act so stuck up just because you're some rich woman's daughter." He said narrowing her eyes.

"Grey…." Willow said in a worried tone, looking between them nervously. "H-hey! I have an idea! Why don't we go out and introduce Flare to all our Pokemon?"

Flare opened her mouth to correct her name but snapped it shut, realizing she was probably the type who would disregard her no matter what she said. That and if she had addressed her by that name to everyone in her group it would only be a growing pain to continue correcting them.

'I don't like the name Florence anyway….' She thought bitterly with a scowl.

"Can't. Alistar and I have to watch the inn today." The leader, apparently Grey, said walking towards the entrance.

"Another time perhaps, my dear. I look forward to showing you my faithful companions." Alistar said with a wink, following Grey out the door.

"Man, that flirt. Don't pay attention to him, he's an idiot." Mo said shaking his head.

"A-and our leader too! He's just takes some time warming up to people!" Willow said with a reassuring tone. "I hope…." She breathed quietly under her breath, Flare catching it anyway. "Anyway let's go! I want to show you my grass-type darlings." She said turning upbeat again, twirling a Pokeball on her fingertips.

"I'm sorry…." Flare said shaking her head. "I just gave Cinder her medicine, and it's been a long day. I want to make sure she's doing alright and keep a close eye on her. She doesn't need so much excitement in one day."

Willow pouted, about to speak again when Mo grabbed her collar.

"Whatever, it's up to you. Let's go Willow." Mo said sounding irritated, practically dragging her out and slamming the door behind them.

Flare watched them go with an unreadable look in her eyes, laying back on her bed.

"I have a feeling this visit isn't going to go as planned."

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"What's your deal with her anyway? She seems like she doesn't want a thing to do with us." Mo said annoyed to Willow who was sitting cross legged on the floor of the inn's main room, pouting with her arms crossed.

"She's not like that though…." She muttered snubbing him stubbornly.

"Oh? How would you know this? After all you've only known her for a few hours and exchanged fewer words." Alistar said peeking up from his work dusting the counter. "Oh perhaps not…." He asked with an almost knowing side gaze.

"Always the perceptive one aren't you Alistar?" Willow said with a smirk. "Maybe I know her and maybe I don't. But none of you can deny the potential right? Right? When have I ever been wrong about it?"

They were silent in response, knowing that most of them were there because of her knack for recognizing others' potentials.

"Regardless of if she does or not, if she refuses to battle, then that's that. We'll leave her alone." Grey said, organizing magazines into neat stacks.

She stood up abruptly.

"Can't we be friends with her even if she doesn't want to battle?!" She exclaimed with a serious look.

Grey shot her an odd look.

"Why are you so hung up on this girl?"

Willow threw her hands up in the air, storming out of the inn.

The three in the room looked at each other with an odd look.

"Well this seems like it'll be interesting." Alistar said with a smirk, returning to his work after the long moment of silence. "I guess we'll wait and see what comes of this."

Willow stood at the entrance of the inn a moment, looking at the ground with a sad look.

"Flare…..what happened to you?" She wondered out loud, shaking her head sadly.

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Next chapter things will start to pick up now that most of the introductions are out of the way and some backstory established. Thanks for reading!


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